The present disclosure generally relates to optical connectors and, more particularly, to fiber optic connector assemblies capable of optically coupling a plurality of fibers in multiple feed directions.
Benefits of optical fiber include extremely wide bandwidth and low noise operation. Because of these advantages, optical fiber is increasingly being used for a variety of applications, including, but not limited to, broadband voice, video, and data transmission. Connectors are often used in data center and telecommunication systems to provide service connections to rack-mounted equipment and to provide inter-rack connections. Accordingly, optical connections are employed in both optical cable assemblies and electronic devices to provide an optical-to-optical connection wherein optical signals are passed between an optical cable assembly and an electronic device.
Datacenters often employ rack-based routers or other computing equipment that require optical connection of a fiber optic connector that terminates a plurality of optical fibers. The number of optical fibers desired to be coupled to a router or other computing equipment is increasing as optical networks gain more widespread use. In some cases, more than three hundred optical fibers are desired to be included in a single optical connector for optical connector to a mated receptacle within a router or other computing equipment. Such a large number of optical fibers present significant manufacturing challenges as it may be nearly impossible to install all of the optical fibers into a single connector. Problems with the actual processing of such a large array of optical fibers in addition to the tolerance stack-up of connector-to-adapter mating would mean a higher probability of product failure both during manufacturing of the fiber optic connector assembly and in the field.
Accordingly, alternative fiber optic connector assemblies capable of terminating a large number of optical fibers are desired.